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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29215908">Skyrating is a Perfect Career with no Flaws Whatsoever</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KenkuKry/pseuds/KenkuKry'>KenkuKry</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Skyrates (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU made by WreakingHavok, Alternate Universe - Skyrates, Alternate Universe - Superpowers, Enemies to Friends, Fluff, Gen, but with a twist, it's like, the twist is pirates and a fuck ton of world building</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:56:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,859</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29215908</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KenkuKry/pseuds/KenkuKry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Magistrex is a skyrate, flying overhead on a skyship, wreaking havoc in the lives of any that oppose him through 'natural' disasters known to wipe entire towns off the map.<br/>Except he isn't.</p>
<p>~</p>
<p>Fires, threats, and miles above the ocean is not the life that Dan, a man used to living in a floating city, ever expected for himself. Sometimes, though, fate makes the decisions for us.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Daniel | RTGameCrowd &amp; Kevin | Call Me Kevin, No Romantic Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Everything you have earned is a ship</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/WreakingHavok/gifts">WreakingHavok</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Shout out to my man Havok for letting me have my turn on the Skyrate au. No, it's not about the video game Skyrates but this fandom tag sprouted from this original au and I find that funny enough to add it.<br/>I've tried my best to write this for those new to the Skyrate AU, and I also made up a ton of stuff (If anyone from the christin server who actually knows the lore sees this I'm going to meet a sorry fate). But, if it seems confusing, please tell me!</p>
<p>This fic is non-linear, meaning it jumps between (currently) two points of time. Hope that clears things up.</p>
<p>Also, one final thing, I've realised it's rather unclear in the beginning, but Dan is a Powered Being (humans and Powereds live in different societies) which has the ability to control/summon weather!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There’s a blaze running wild below the looming Skyship of Wesingia, and it comes as a surprise to Dan that it isn’t his fault.</p>
<p>Leaning over the starboard railing of his ship, he’s squinting to try and see through the dark of the moonless night. He’s half tempted to make a rain cloud to calm it down. But he doesn’t, someone worked hard for this blaze.</p>
<p>The fire grows quickly through the long grass, leaving only blackened ash in its trace. Its destructive nature catches him in a trance. It surges forward without any blockade, consuming more and more until it finally reaches a cleared area. Then just like that, it stops. Something so wild controlled by just a metre gap.</p>
<p>A cough wracks through Dan, maybe he shouldn’t be breathing in this much of the rising smoke. He was about to head back into the wheelhouse when he spotted something illuminated by the raging light of the fire.</p>
<p>A figure of a person, standing a small distance from the fire that would typically scare someone. The flames seemed to halt by their feet.</p>
<p>Dan rushed over to a small crate he had for observational objects, haphazardly brushing the anemometer and altimeter to the side to pull out a bulky pair of binoculars. When he got back to starboard, he saw that the figure was staring at him.</p>
<p>Magistrex is rarely scared of something, but something felt <i>off</i> about this person.</p>
<p>Through the binoculars, the figure appeared to be male. Nothing particularly special could give them away as a Powered. More features were visible as he adjusted the focus dial, making the image clearer. He was barely visible in the darkness, but the dying flames illuminated brown hair and glinting eyes. Eyes that were looking directly at him.</p>
<p>The man must’ve known they had eye contact because when Dan nearly stepped back in shock, light illuminated from his hands. In each hand were flickering flames.</p>
<p>
  <i>Shit.</i>
</p>
<p>Dan didn’t know much about fire Powereds, probably because it was so rare. Being able to summon and control fire is one of the highest powers on the danger scale his teachers had taught his class as a kid. Most kids in his class had passive skills like healing or plant growth.</p>
<p>He stretched his fingers, feeling the faint crackle of atmospheric tension. The ability to control weather wasn’t the most passive, either.</p>
<p>
  <i>Kiwo would know about it, she knows everything about destructive powers. Shame that she’s off on some floating city somewhere.</i>
</p>
<p>The two stared at one another as Wesingia floated by, her sails tugged by the frigid night breeze. The warm smell of smoke only sent a chill down his spine. Something in this picture was wrong.</p>
<p>He could discern one worrying thing about this: It was a warning.</p>
<p>The man wielding flames turned away first, quickly vanishing into the overgrowth of the nearby forest.</p>
<p>Dan knew, somehow, that this wouldn’t be the last time they’d meet</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~</p>
<p>
  <b>One year before.</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>
    <i>”Take the fuck off!”</i>
  </b>
</p>
<p>Dan jerks up at the harsh yell. He squints through the sun’s bright rays, computing the words in his brain. There’s a cloaked figure running up the wooden board to his ship and</p>
<p>His bodily control is taken away from him.</p>
<p>“Shi-!” He isn’t even able to get the word out before he loses complete control. His throat freezes mid-syllable and his legs move beneath him. In a moments notice, he’s up the stairs to the Captain’s deck, hand ghosting over the railing in a way that he would never.</p>
<p>Inwardly, he’s panicking. There’s a lot of people who would like to see this ship crash, burn, or to have quite the unfriendly conversation with its Captain. Typically all three. If one of those people can take control of his every move like that, his only comprehensible response is <i>oh shit.</i></p>
<p>George, who was basking in the sun not a moment before, is giving the most aggressive yowl he’s ever heard from him. The cat’s back was arched, standing guard over the control board. He’s hissing and growling and he doesn’t recognise Dan. He doesn’t recognise Dan and it brings such a sad relief to him but he’s still terrified because he’s flicking the switches to close any of the open portholes and overriding the supply checking procedures but it’s <i>not him-</i></p>
<p>The Wesingia was barely a meter above the nearby markets when he collapsed.</p>
<p>Apparently, when your control is taken away from you the meer second it is given back you don’t typically expect it. Therefore, you aren’t actively thinking of holding your body upright.</p>
<p>There are blind spots in his eyes as he blinks. Breath struggles to reach his lungs, and Dan’s hands are balled into fists as he winces. He coughs but only draws more breath out of him. <i>The fall winded me,</i> he recognises through blurry, flurrying thoughts.</p>
<p>“Hey there floor man, the name’s Kiwo by the way,” the figure that rushed on board is in front of him. The name Kiwo doesn’t seem recognisable, but he isn’t in quite the shape to recognise things. “Sorry about all that, just needed to escape some people and thought that this was my best bet.”</p>
<p>Dan’s only response is a feeble wheeze.</p>
<p>“Oh, shit!” Kiwo exclaims, appearing to crouch down in his blurry line of sight. “Sorry, I must have accidentally taken full control, man. People always collapse after full control.”</p>
<p><i>”No shit,”</i> Dan is barely able to gasp out.</p>
<p>“I’ll, uh, set something up for you,” Kiwo gets up, spinning around before halting sharply, “do you have pillows anywhere? Anything soft?”</p>
<p>Dan gives vague hand signals for directions and she shoots off out of his vision.</p>
<p>There’s a stranger on his ship but he feels absolutely drained. It’s like his bones were hollowed out like a bird’s, too brittle to lift. Maybe shutting his eyes for a couple seconds won’t be too bad.</p>
<p>Then, by the time he opens his eyes again, he has a pile of sweaters resting underneath his head. Then, when he turns his head, Kiwo will be manning the ship. He shoots her a perplexed, somewhat terrified look. She responds with a gleeful thumbs-up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There are embers in his peripheral vision, but with every blink, they disappear.</p>
<p>That isn’t a bother at the moment, he has to focus. One wrong step and the reputation he has built will fall apart at the seams.</p>
<p>When Dan’s ship lands by colonies, they know him as Magistrex. The name of the man who raises tsunamis as one raises a hand, summons tornados with a flick, and can summon a meteor shower with a yawn.</p>
<p>Of course, he can’t do any of those things but having the ability to make water retreat back and making the sky go dark with howling winds goes far. With the meteor thing? He has no idea where that one came from, but he appreciates it nonetheless.</p>
<p>As always, he gives himself the joy of a dramatic entrance. A small gust of air blows the dead leaves into graceful spirals, the long tails of his tailcoat flicker like snakes’ tongues in front of him. Lightning crackles between his splayed fingers.</p>
<p>The stallholders glance up. He relishes in how their eyes widen in surprise and fear. It’s good to know that the tales have reached as far as here, much as the way ink spreads through water.</p>
<p>It hits him like a pang in the heart sometimes, though. When some stallholders set up magic shields or when one of them gives whispered orders to their flock of crows, he feels...displeased.</p>
<p>Such is the way of the Skyrate, especially one as infamous as himself. He must maintain the illusion that anyone is at risk to prevent anyone from detecting a pattern. He has targets, and they aren’t the folk who do fair trade at market stalls.</p>
<p>The quiet is isolating, not only the quiet of the moment but the quiet of the last few months. Dan hasn’t visited any of his friends in quite a while, and it’s quite difficult to make friends when people believe you’ll wipe their house off the face of the planet. He knows that over more time, this walk of intimidation will gradually become one of shame.</p>
<p>His thoughts were fortunately interrupted for exactly what he was wishing for.</p>
<p>“Magistrex! It’s been a while, good chap,” a distinct voice called out in good humour, cutting through the thick layers of tension.</p>
<p>Spiff.</p>
<p>His shoulders nearly slouched in relief, but he refrained. Instead, he partially sped up his pace in the direction of Spiff’s stall. The marketplace slowly began moving again, everything finely coated in hush whispers.</p>
<p>Spiff stood with good posture, beaming with pride behind his stall of luxuries. Small boxes of herbs and whatever natural remedies a superstitious rich person would be willing to buy. Dan knew that wasn’t what he was proudest of, though. Out of arm's reach were open boxes of dried tea leaves. Those, Dan knew from several enthralling rambles, were Spiff’s pride and joy.</p>
<p>“Come on in!” Spiff exclaimed, ushering Dan into his refurbished caravan. “Would you like me to prepare some tea?”</p>
<p>“No, thanks, I’ll be alright.” He politely declined, moving to light a nearby lamp only to make a noise of surprise.</p>
<p>“Hmm?”</p>
<p>“You got electricity recently?”</p>
<p>“Oh, yes, that!” Spiff responded while drawing close the curtains to the marketplace. “Just after I saw you in that one windy place-”</p>
<p>“It was hell to land Wesingia,” Dan mentioned, finally switching on the lamp, bathing the well-lived caravan in an orange glow.</p>
<p>“I’ve seen you nearly crash that ship too many times,” Spiff tutted. “You <i>are</i> aware that you’re supposed to have a crew when you’re flying those things, yes?”</p>
<p>“You were talking about after my last visit?”</p>
<p>“You’re not as sneaky as you’d like to thing, Magistrex,” Spiff joked before settling into a cushioned seat. “Okay, we’ll bring that up later, you win this time. The town I went to was  rather large, seemed like by the faces of the people that they were from a collapsed sky city.”</p>
<p>Dan winced, he hadn’t been to a floating city in years, but he knows the attachment people hold for their own. He decided to follow Spiff’s lead and sat in a chair facing him.</p>
<p>“There were a lot of skilled people there,” Spiff continued, “a lot had skills related with maintaining such a thing. One woman was even building her own skyship, one that would actually have a crew.”</p>
<p>“What happened to ‘we’ll bring that up later’?” He playfully mocked Spiff’s accent.</p>
<p>“Oh stop that,” he waved Dan off, “do you even want to know what Kiwo got up to?”</p>
<p>“Kiwo was there?”</p>
<p>“Well, not when I arrived, but she had made quite the name for herself.” <i>Oh boy, he knew where this was going.</i> “I saw a vehicle mechanic who looked rather sour when and I asked about them one of the townsfolk told me that an excentric woman had somehow bartered over one of their Speeders until it was dirt cheap. Then, as soon as it was half the price than the lowest price one would usually offer, she paid it and zoomed away on it. Apparently, her power wore off just as she was over a hill and out of sight. She caused quite the uproar.”</p>
<p>The entire story Dan was trying to hold himself back from laughing.  He was trying <i>so</i> hard, covering his mouth and trying to think serious thoughts. But, no matter how he tried, the picture of a confused looking salesperson, one Speeder less, and Kiwo riding it off into the sunset, maniacally laughing. </p>
<p>As soon as the story ended, he gave in and doubled over laughing.</p>
<p>“I thought you told me that you convinced her not to use her powers for criminal activity!” Spiff exclaimed, visibly holding back from laughing along with him.</p>
<p>Dan steeled himself, rubbing at his face to calm himself down. “I did tell her, but at least she paid the poor engineer.”</p>
<p>Spiff hummed in agreement, leaning further into his chair. “Well, before we get to business, what have you been doing?”</p>
<p>“Uh,” Dan paused, thinking over the past weeks. Nothing much had really happened. There had been a few small things such as him making a good deal with a fisherman, him getting another ingredient to the cake recipe he had, and-</p>
<p>
  <i>Oh.</i>
</p>
<p>“There was this… Fire Powered,” Dan squinted his eyes at the areas where the caravan walls met. Spiff shifted in his seat, giving him firm attention. “I saw him late at night, I was watching the stars and ready to check-in for the night, but there was a faint glow below Wesingia.”</p>
<p>Spiff gave a small nod, coercing Dan to continue. “There was a fire absolutely ravaging the grassland, it moved so quickly then it just… Stopped, not that far from the feet of a man who was staring right at me.”</p>
<p>Spiff made a perplexed sound, but Dan carried on. “Then he summoned fire to his hands. It was like- it was a threat. I didn’t recognise him, but, you know-”</p>
<p>“You’ve messed with too many people to remember faces?” Spiff offered with a grin.</p>
<p>“I suppose,” Dan laughed, worry creeping into his voice, “it’s just that- when a man who can control fire doesn’t appear to like you, it’s quite the worrying issue, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>“Sorry if I’m remembering incorrectly, but you mentioned a while ago that it wasn’t common for your folk to have dangerous powers?”</p>
<p>“About as likely as a lone human walking into a powered market place to sell tea.”</p>
<p>“Hey! They don’t know I’m human,” Spiff waved him off.</p>
<p>“What have you said this time?”</p>
<p>“One of the people at the market -- the one with the crows, Eric -- made it a guessing game amongst the others. Apparently, he’s recording every guess then bringing someone in who can sense powers,” Spiff gestured vaguely, “I’ll be long gone by the time they’re around, though.”</p>
<p>“I can give you a suggestion,” Dan shifted forward in the seat.</p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p>“Say that one of the aspects of your power is that no one can discern it, people love obscure powers like that.”</p>
<p>“Genius!” Spiff lit up, patting his legs. “I knew there’s a reason I keep you around, not only for the respectable dressing but also for the occasional good thought.”</p>
<p>“And not because of the chaos?” Dan enquires with a joking twang.</p>
<p>“Oh, chaos has never been my scene,” Spiff gave his most prim and proper voice, Dan noting the parts where his voice nearly cracked with laughter, “you wouldn’t catch me <i>dead</i> causing havoc in such a sophisticated scene.”</p>
<p>“I would never expect something such as that, good sir,” Dan mocked back, holding his chin high, “now, enough dither dather, may we get to some non-chaotic, non-wreaking havoc business?”</p>
<p>Spiff dropped the accent, then got up to give Dan a firm pat on the shoulder. “Never thought you’d ask, ol’ Magistrex.”</p>
<p>Dan stood up, brushing off his coat because he forgot to put it on the coat rack, like an idiot. “Well, what do you have?”</p>
<p>Spiff gave a small chuckle as he pulled open a thick journal situated next to the open drawers of miscellaneous clutter. He glanced over his shoulder at Dan, mischievous glint in his eyes, “they call your type Skyrates for a reason, no?”</p>
<p>A rush of adrenalin flushed through him as his grin spread. The flickering, spectral embers still occupied the blurry corners of his vision, but that was an issue for another time.</p>
<p>He had a job to do.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~</p>
<p>
  <b>One year before.</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <i>What the hell?</i>
</p>
<p>When Dan awoke, his bones felt one whole ton heavier. His efforts to push himself up from his resting place were sluggish and feeble. Despite these offputting factors, his unaware spirit was raised by the pleasant smell of breakfast.</p>
<p>Wait, what?</p>
<p>“What the hell?” He said aloud, blinking the sleep out of his eyes.</p>
<p>“You’re awake!” A distant voice called -- as if he didn’t know -- followed by the clatter of dropped metal.</p>
<p>He stared at the bowl of food, perplexed. He didn’t look up to the sound of footsteps running up the stairs to -- where was he, the Captain’s deck? Why did he fall asleep here?</p>
<p>
  <i>Oh.</i>
</p>
<p>Within moments, Kiwo’s shoes were in front of him.</p>
<p>“Thanks for letting me stay-” Dan was about to cut her off, but she corrected herself “- well, you didn’t <i>really</i> let me stay here, but there’s not much you can do this high in the air, huh?”</p>
<p>Dan grumbled something he could barely hear while he pushed himself into a bleary-eyed sitting position.</p>
<p>“Huh? Could you repeat that?”</p>
<p>“I said that… I said I could blow you off the deck of this ship if I wanted to, you know. A sharp gust of wind is more dangerous than you think.”</p>
<p>His exhausted threat didn’t have the intended effect. Instead, Kiwo only became more excited, crouching in from of him with a wide grin.</p>
<p>“Oh, oh! You’re that weather controller! The-” Kiwo snapped her fingers in thought, “Meteorokinesis!”</p>
<p>Dan blinked. He had no idea there was even a word. It didn’t matter anyway, because Kiwo continued talking despite him.</p>
<p>“Although, you can’t control meteors. Man, imagine if you <i>could</i>, that would be the sickest power. I heard that weather manipulation falls under elemental manipulation, like in that extended version that includes light and stuff. Ohhh, do you have a situational power? Is Meteorkinesis <i>both</i> situational and elemental? Because that would be cool as hell, convincing someone that meteors are weather events then siccing meteors onto them-”</p>
<p>Now his head was spinning for several reasons. Dan had barely paid attention to any lessons about powers in his school. He never even picked up any of the well-used encyclopedias in the library. He had promised himself he would, but that was back when Dublin was still floating and not-</p>
<p>“Anyway, I’ve heard about you, specifically,” Kiwo mentioned offhandedly. Dan tilted his head in a slight surprise. “You’re- uh, Magistrex, isn’t it? Most dangerous lone Skyrate in the British Isles?”</p>
<p>“Uh,” he hesitated, somewhat embarrassed by the recognition, albeit by an alternative name, “yes?”</p>
<p>“I have to say,” Kiwo huffed, glancing around herself, “it really shows that you do this alone.”</p>
<p>“Hey!” </p>
<p>“How about I strike you a deal, oh so intimidating Skyrate.”</p>
<p>Dan squinted in suspicion. This person had a power related to mental manipulation or mental suggestion or... something along those lines. As mentioned before, no power knowledge. But who was he to deny an interesting deal?</p>
<p>Dan nodded, coercing Kiwo to continue.</p>
<p>“So, you need someone to help you out clean up this patchwork ship, and I need somewhere to stay so I don’t get hunted for sport.” Kiwo offered, “what if I stay here for a little while, long enough that all the people on land and move onto the next thief in town. In return, I help out in all the tasks that need two people to complete.”</p>
<p>Dan pondered the concept. Having more than just himself, George (a cat who can’t speak back in any way other than loud meows), and a large stack of books, it’s a nice concept. He still has a dusty set of board games in storage that he hasn’t touched very often.</p>
<p>And then it hits him.</p>
<p>
  <i>She hasn’t used her power on me.</i>
</p>
<p>If she had, he would’ve accepted nearly immediately without a second thought. But here he is, thinking about hard-covered books and dust-covered games.</p>
<p>That’s when he knows that despite their rocky meeting, in front of him is a genuine person. A person that knows the proper times when and when not to use her powers.</p>
<p>That’s when he trusts her.</p>
<p>And so he nods.</p>
<p>And so he smiles.</p>
<p>“I’ll take you up on that, as long as you don’t bother George.”</p>
<p>And she smiles back.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Your glass ceiling, walls, and floors</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Featuring: Dan's first flight on a skyship, an ominous threat, and the concept of shadows</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Maybe I miss soothouse, maybe I miss RT and Wilbur's dynamic, but you have no proof</p><p>Thank you to Merch for forever being so cool o7</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Three years, one month, and five days before.</b>
</p><p>Dan has always been terrified of heights, even with the knowledge of being born and raised in a floating city.</p><p>He’s also rather afraid of deep, dark water. Water filled with crashing waves covered with seafoam and creatures filled to the brim with sharp teeth.</p><p>So, he has absolutely no idea why he believed a Skyrating tour would be relaxing.</p><p>After Uni his friend group had pushed him to do something more exciting with them despite his disputes. <i>’Exciting things aren’t my deal’</i> he’d say, <i>’the thought of being so high off the ground would probably give me a heart attack’</i> he thought.</p><p>So here he was, doing one of the most touristy things imaginable: pretending to be a Skyrate.</p><p>Of course, the whole thing led to a lot of jokes. Before sunset, everyone met on the main deck to talk over junk food.</p><p>“Who do you think would be the best Skyrate from what we’ve seen so far?” Charlie suggested.</p><p>Dan took a quick swig of his drink, feeling somewhat sunsick.</p><p>“To be honest I thought Dan- that Dan-” Will gestured in his direction, the other Dan (they called themselves the Soots, didn’t they? Soot Dan? Dan Soot?) playfully made a displeased noise “-would be better at all this, all the interesting Skyrates have cool powers.”</p><p>“Hey, don’t say that Mr ‘controls people’s emotions through music’,” Jack complained, "I have to live with transforming into a goose. A goose!"</p><p>"At least there's no plastic here, it's all wood," Matt, the man unfortunate enough to have the power to talk to plastic, mumbled.</p><p>"Still can't believe the strings of my cheap ukulele were having drama with each other," Wilbur laughed along with Rhianna.</p><p>Matt just put his face in his hands and gave an exhausted sigh.</p><p>Dan's mind throughout the entire flight had a distant sense of dread. It stayed with him even when he was no longer leaning over the railings, watching a thrashing ocean of dark blue. Even when he wasn't thinking about the massive gap between him and sea level. The sense of dread followed him like an ambitious ghost, ensuring that he always felt that something was <i>wrong</i>.</p><p>The tension trailed down his arms and into his fingertips. Atmospheric tension ready to crack into wild spiderwebs of lightning at a moment's notice.</p><p>Charlie made a small <i>'huh'</i> and looked up from his phone. "Reception went out."</p><p>Will shot Dan a concerned look, a silent question delivered with it. Wilbur was the only one here that knew how his powers acted out when he was anxious.</p><p>"How about a song, Will?" Dan suggested suddenly, resulting in the others looking at him.</p><p>"Sorry, man," Will gave an apologetic smile, "not feeling up to it right now."</p><p>"We could use the radio?" (Soot) Dan offered, "news should be on around now."</p><p>They all made noises and hums of agreement, David got up to rummage the low-quality radio that the touring company gave them.</p><p>Conversation continued. Will laughed at a joke Rhianna made, George and Charlie mucked around together, but Dan remained silent, listening to the faint crackling that he wasn’t sure was coming from his fingers anymore.</p><p>David set up the radio, but it only played static until they were in range of London.</p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>There was something wrong with this image.</p><p>Dan was once again leaning over the starboard of his ship. A few days before, he had been running up on the ship, near-rabid dogs hot on his tail.</p><p>Typically, when Spiff tells him about an exploiter (what the two of them called liars and cheaters with enough money to ward off the vengeance of their victim's), he gives Dan a clear warning of risks.</p><p>Except for this time, where he seemed to forget to take into account the risk factor of a <i>pack of aggressive guard dogs.</i></p><p>He was lucky enough to get away unscathed, unlike the fate of his coat.</p><p>The poor thing had a large chunk ripped out of its end, and Dan was beginning to run out of its material to patch it up in a clean manner. At least that chunk wasn’t his leg, he mused.</p><p>But, once again he was staring over starboard, watching the line between the sea and land.</p><p>The sight still somewhat scares him. White foam and blue-grey waves crashing relentlessly against the solid rock of the cliffs. It ripped, tore, and folded into itself before going for another attack, spraying the salty sea spray in clouds of water droplets that he could see from his skyship.</p><p>His current objective was training himself. He was trying to test how far he could command the weather, and if he could train himself to go further.</p><p>He was straining himself in somewhere between his neck and chest to blow the leaves of a faraway tree. Arm outstretched, inching further and further forward, trying his best to get as close to the tree that was hundreds of meters away. Maybe if he shuffled a little bit further, leaned over the railing a little bit more-</p><p>A loud, indiscernible shout sent him flinching back. His heart leapt into his throat because <i>oh god oh god oh god, he could have fallen off and gone into freefall and no one would be there to save him-</i></p><p>Another shout reached his ears, although this one was slightly quieter.</p><p>He shifted a little bit back towards the banister but maintained a safe distance. Peering over to where the noise came from, he saw a figure.</p><p>A cold sense of deja vu flooded through his system.</p><p>The figure walked towards the lone tree at a steady pace, occasionally glancing over to the ship, as if to ensure he was still watching. Dan couldn’t look away, he was frozen still.</p><p>Offhandedly he realised he was gripping the banister. His knuckles were stark white.</p><p>
  <i>Shit.</i>
</p><p>Even before it happened, he knew what was going to happen.</p><p>The man touched a hanging branch, and in a matter of seconds, the tree was ablaze.</p><p>In a moment of panic, spurred on by fear of the figure using the fire to redirect it towards his ship, he sent out a storm cloud.</p><p>It wasn’t a large one, but he strained and pushed and barely <i>breathed</i> to move it as far as he could before the fire Powered could sic the blaze onto him.</p><p>Through some miracle mixed with desperation, the puttering cloud reached the flame-licked tree. The rain put out the fire, but the blackened tree, caked with ash, felt like an unsettling and purposeful omen.</p><p>Then, once again, the fire Powered was the first to turn and walk away. Dan was tempted to risk another day of non-stop flight.</p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Three years, one month, and four days before.</b>
</p><p>It’s quiet, sitting on the Skyship on its course back to Dublin.</p><p>The Soots had gotten off a few hours ago. The ship had docked in London, they had said their farewells, and Dan set off back to Dublin to return the ship.</p><p>The goodbye was a solemn affair, more so than what a group of college friends that could just talk online should typically have. </p><p>Charlie gave him a high five, David gave him a shoulder pat, everyone gave each other over-enthusiastic handshakes in good humour.</p><p>Dan was glad that everyone was partially distracted, talking amongst themselves when he hugged Wilbur. The entire trip had felt strange, shifted, but the others made it feel better. He felt safer than otherwise.</p><p>He'll miss them, he'll miss this.</p><p>So, when he hugged Wilbur, a small, strangled sob squeezed out of his throat. Will gave him a gentle pat on the back and pulled away first.</p><p>"We'll do something like this again, yeah?" Will had offered with a comforting smile, "no need to worry, man. Well see each other soon, keep in touch!"</p><p>Will ran off to catch up to the other Soots, not before giving a final wave goodbye.</p><p>It took Dan a while to get back on board.</p><p>So here he was now, reading the manual for guiding a ship while it took its automated route back. The faint hum of the engines below and the whistle of the wind above made it feel less quiet, but not less lonely.</p><p>Dublin would be in sight, soon. It's hulking mass appearing so delicate in the air.</p><p>Dan had just reached the chapter on ship landings when the radio cracked to life.</p><p><i>"Emergency alert from the----"</i> it buzzed in barely coherent noise. <i>"evacuate immediately ----- classified as a class five, city wide emergency. There are 30 minutes -------"</i></p><p>The line sputtered, hissed, and caved to radio static.</p><p>Something in Dan’s stomach sank and his eyes widened.</p><p>The wind grew louder.</p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>Flying alone is lonely, Dan will admit to himself but never to Spiff.</p><p>He’s had people on board on occasion. By people meaning Kiwo jumping on and off whenever she feels, but that’s the thing. Life in the sky just isn’t her territory, so she leaves sooner or later.</p><p>One time when Spiff told him to get someone for a crew, Dan half-jokingly suggested for him to join.</p><p><i>”My non-Powered body is not ready for such things,”</i> he had responded with a sad smile, <i>”I much prefer having two solid feet on the ground.”</i></p><p>Dan had felt that he implied more, but he didn’t inquire further.</p><p>Sometimes when the ship’s engine hummed and the wind catching the sails whistled, Dan thought back to his first day alone on the ship.</p><p>He quickly shot down those thoughts when they cropped up. Better to leave the past behind, even if the faint strum of a guitar makes his heart ache.</p><p>Loneliness is an odd thing. It is the absence of something that you’re used to, like feeling a hollow spot near your heart where something used to be. A story, perhaps, or a song, but most of the time it is a person. That absence follows you to the point you do not notice it, much like a shadow, which is also the absence of something once there.</p><p>Dan forgets loneliness, but when he sees the patchwork walls and the organisation in storage he occasionally thinks of working with Kiwo. Passing jokes back and forth, light as air. The energy of productivity paired with the presence of another.</p><p>Only then does he stare at his shadow.</p><p>People fear Magistrex, creating its own mythos feeding itself in a loop. It helps Dan ward off danger and dip his toes into some of his own creation, but it means people are scared of him. People give him a wide berth when they hear the crackle of lightning trickle up his back, when the sky grows darker as he invites the storm.</p><p>Maybe there will be a day where he will not be feared for his individual prowess. Whether that be because of another person joining him or it leads to people being willing to join, it would mean his shadow would be at least a little bit brighter as light fills its cavities.</p><p>But that is the future. For now, he has to bother with how to recover all the energy he’s lost from the nonstop flight of the ship.</p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Three years, one month, and four days before.</b>
</p><p>Dublin was a faint, blue-tinged blur on the horizon when it happened.</p><p>Dan had brought out his glasses as if <i>that</i> would help. He was tempted to go and try and find the binoculars from wherever it lay in the disorganised junk pile the tour company gave them. He didn’t, though, because it felt that the clouds were trying to warn him of something.</p><p>Okay, it sounded stupid at the time but he would later find out that Skyrating out in the sky lead him to be more connected to the weather around him. This resulted in him not only commanding it but cooperating with it.</p><p>At the time, though, his body felt frigid. His eyes were stuck to the floating city on the horizon, unblinkingly.</p><p>That meant he saw the exact moment it fell.</p><p>It was a gruelling sight, the landmass that held the city and its operating system crumbling like dirt. It fell to the ground below, but by the time that noise had reached him, the city itself had broken into two. The sight of the halves of the city he had his own two feet on for all of his life crumbling in a heap was unexplainable.</p><p>It was almost like something that was forever there in his chest disappeared, at that moment. It disappeared when the ear-shattering boom, a wall of noise, reached his ears.</p><p>The skyship floated on, the wind calmed, and the clouds gathered to mourn with him for a home he would never live in again.</p><p>For the next few days, every town the ship branded as the Wesingia soared over was met with clouded skies for weeks. Not a hint of blue sky was seen until a week had passed from the ship’s passing.</p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>Dan settled on the top of a small hill far from any civilisation to land Wesingia. It was a bumpy landing as usual, perhaps more so due to the low power resulting in worse mechanisms.</p><p>The air felt fresh. Dan stared at the long grass blades dancing together in the wind, small purple flowers peeking out from within the grass. It brought a small smile to his face.</p><p>He would set out the extra solar panels in the morning, the few minutes of sunlight left wouldn’t add much. For now, he could just relax with the sun setting behind him, drawing long shadows of the ship and its captain.</p><p>Appreciating the quiet was free, but Dan valued it so highly.</p><p>Some things will never stop teetering at the edges of his mind, of course. An old home turned to rubble, a friend who’s constantly on the run, and now a person who could burn his new home to ashes with a snap of the fingers. Nonetheless, he is safe now as the stars make their entrance.</p><p>When Dan turned to head to bed, he failed to notice the trail of smoke on the horizon.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay okay, next chapter Kevin is actually going to have a speaking role next chapter, I'm just bad at building suspense.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Oh, Captain, let's make a deal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Silence reigned as they stood in the shade of the treeline. Dan considers the offer that he was given. He’s never been on the ground alone, and even then not for longer than a day or two. He’s always had Spiff to talk to or Kiwo to raise hell with. Of course, he values time to himself, but there’s still that shadow that follows him with every step. </p>
<p>He’s met new friends in worse ways<br/>-<br/>Humans and Powered don't have the best connection, but sometimes curiosity, obliviousness, and near-death situations change some things.<br/>(tw// mentions of not eating much, passing out. if there are any other triggers that anyone wants to add, tell me!)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A day off it being a month since this fic's last update ,,,, man.<br/>Busy w/ irl things are always to blame, the musical I've been doing the lighting for had its performances and the closing night was an absolute blast. I hope 6K words can excuse my disappearance because <i>man</i> this is the longest single chapter I've ever written. Isn't anything like Khio's 15K a chapter minimum but I'm still proud</p>
<p>THANK YOU TO <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWebernutter">THEWEBERNUTTER</a> WHO BETA'ED THIS WHOLE THING AND TURNED WHAT WAS ONCE AN OKAY CHAPTER TO A STUPENDOUS ONE.<br/>She's helped me so much, and even helped me in the rewriting of the description!! Brilliant gal, hilarious friend, and also got mod on the server we're on recently! Pog !</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Three years and eighteen days before.</b>
</p>
<p>Dan’s first encounter with humans isn’t a pleasant one.</p>
<p>He’d always been told that they were violent, worked together in impenetrable groups, and above all: humans would persevere against a Powered until they fell, whether that be knocking them off their feet or blowing an entire city out of the sky.</p>
<p>It was obvious that the fall of Dublin was due to humans, it was impossible for such a complex mechanism with so many fail-safes to tear apart at the seams as he saw. For something so towering and powerful to crumble like paper. For something that was once there one minute to suddenly disappear.</p>
<p>The hollow spot remains in his chest and helps him count the days.</p>
<p>Sixteen. It had been sixteen.</p>
<p>The first few were spent feeling lost. The ship had guided him through an override of the out of business touring company's preset direction. When the consol gave him the message <i>‘Sorry, it appears that the ship has run off course! Please redirect it to the closest Skyrating Experiences™ docking bay’</i> he nearly cried through his incredulous laughter. </p>
<p><i>”I’ve run rather off course too, buddy,”</i> he said with the sick sort of empathy you have when the only thing left to share your pain is an inanimate object. <i>”I don’t think we’re going to get home any time soon.”</i></p>
<p>After that, he made a panicked landing due to low power which nearly destroyed the whole thing. But, his panic drew some winds that lightened everything. He thanked the open air for its help.</p>
<p>Christ, he really was lonely at that point, wasn’t he?</p>
<p>Anyway, sixteen days later he was getting a handle on things. Once he got good enough, he promised himself, he would go to London and never set foot on a skyship again. One day he’d step off this hell-ship and put his feet on solid ground and he’d see the Soots, he’d live alongside living people, he’d read books, he’d listen to Wilbur play songs end to end and once over. He would never spend a day off the city.</p>
<p>(Sometimes the thought of being on a floating city, thin air below and only being held up by complex weavings of invisible magic, makes his knees go weak. He needs to sit down after that, but even then his legs won’t stop shaking.)</p>
<p>Now he was up in the air again, watching curious seabirds fly not too far below. Their cries didn’t cover the faint grumble of his stomach, though.</p>
<p>“I’ll have to find somewhere to get food soon.” He murmured to no one but himself. He’d been doing that a lot lately -- talking to himself. “Food’s going to run short at some point.”</p>
<p>It was true. He’d been slowly eating through the ship’s food supply (the sort of food/water that’d be added to the bill if you ate it, but Dan doesn’t have to worry about any outstanding dues), but it would run out soon. Maybe he should find that village the radio suggested to take shelter at? He hadn’t exactly caught the name but it shouldn’t be that far from-</p>
<p>He smelled the smoke first, heard the screams of rage second, and felt the burning heat last.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dan woke up to his breath choked in his throat. A second of having his eyes open made them start watering from the heat surrounding him.</p>
<p>Every primal sense of being Powered screeched at that moment, clawing through him and yelling <i>fire, danger, escape, <b>run.</b></i></p>
<p>He barely recognised the fact that the fire hadn’t reached his room yet, but that implied something also terrible: this fire was close enough for him to feel it and big enough to have smoke start having it seep through the ventilation of the ship.</p>
<p>The heat was everywhere, reaching into every crevice of his skin and the smoke sent him wheezing, oxygen starved lungs begging for each breath that slowly turned denser and harder to take.</p>
<p>He pushed through the heat and reached the door blindly, persevering through it all to try to get the hell out</p>
<p>
  <i>”Shit!”</i>
</p>
<p>Hot air burned past his face as he tripped. He braced an arm out, feeling the shock run up to his shoulders as he collided with the ground. There must’ve been debris, or maybe an extra crate he had left out that he tripped over but <i>that doesn’t matter because he has to get up but he can barely breathe and the heat is sapping his energy and <b>why can’t he get up?!</b></i></p>
<p>He barely hears the crash as black spots cover the peripherals of his vision. Dan is instead much more concerned with the fact that every effort to pull himself up is met by the resistance of his oxygen-starved muscles despite the panicked commands of his brain. The fall made him all the more aware of the pain in his chest as his diaphragm quailed.</p>
<p>He realised he hadn’t eaten much in the last few days just as something grabs his upper arm.</p>
<p>Dan instinctively pulls back, although not with much force. Some part of his brain starts to connect the dots. Fire, that reminds him of someone, doesn’t it?</p>
<p>“Feck, are you alright?” A voice asks through the roar of the flames, “sorry, that’s a dumb question, can you stand up?”</p>
<p>Dan lets out a groan. His actions speak for themselves, and the heat is filling his head with more and more staticy. His lungs struggle to even dispel the smoke.</p>
<p>“Okay, okay, uh,” the voice sounds panicked, and in his blurred line of sight he can see the person shifting their weight from foot to foot. “I guess I have to carry you? Sorry about this.”</p>
<p>He didn’t even fully comprehend the words before he was hauled up awkwardly by the oddly considerate stranger. He didn’t fight back. One of his enemies wouldn't want to drag him out of a burning blaze, would they? Well, he hopes to god not.</p>
<p>It was slow going, for the obvious reason that the person carrying him was encumbered, but they got out of there before Dan could pass out from lack of oxygen.</p>
<p>He blinked the smoke and tears formed from the heat out of his eyes, the sight of the fire slowly enveloping the Wesingia coming into focus. It’s bright, burning light chases away the shadows of the night, swallowing the darkness around it. The blaze brings an aggressive heat to the cool night air.</p>
<p>The person who carried him laid him against a tree trunk a bit down the hill. Dan went limp, staring upward, helpless as his second home was enveloped in flames. In a last-ditch attempt to do <i>something</i> he used any remaining energy to summon a small storm.</p>
<p>He barely got to see the clouds swirl into position before he passed out from exhaustion, directly beside a complete stranger he didn’t know the intentions of.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Three years and eighteen days before.</b>
</p>
<p>Dan rushed to the railings to see flaming arrows dug into the side of the ship. Some appeared to have extinguished mid flight, but some were still flickering. He could hear his own heartbeat, nearly drowning out the shouting from below.</p>
<p>He looked further over, just spotting a collection of houses with swarming people on the ground. He flinched back as an arrow shot past half a metre from him. </p>
<p>The roaring in his ears grew louder.</p>
<p>He could sense the clouds swarm in his panic, and a genius idea struck him: with some effort he pushed some clouds together, creating a small rain cloud to extinguish the fires before they grew.</p>
<p>That wasn’t the main issue, though. He knew very much so when an arrow flew up in the air and fell onto the deck, digging into the seams of the wood. They could still get him.</p>
<p>He could tell that they were aiming for parts he couldn’t extinguish, he could hear more and more faint thuds and snaps from the bottom of the ship.</p>
<p>He needs to get out <i>now.</i></p>
<p>Dan ran to the room with the controls, feet pounding across the deck and up the stairs. The shock of it all travelled up his legs and through his head and shook his heart.</p>
<p>Trying to figure out the option for <i>fast</i> on the control board, he noticed his arms were shaking.</p>
<p>His eyes flickered over the buttons and switches in a jagged movement, scouring his memories of reading the manual for some kind of <i>’how to make the ship go fast enough that it doesn’t get taken down by flaming arrows’</i> page.</p>
<p>He was just in luck when a certain section popped into mind: a page covered in warning signs that had caught his attention in reading. It told, amongst several warnings to never perform the act unless supervised by professionals, about a dial that could be found in a secret compartment under the control board.</p>
<p>Immediately he felt over the flat piece of wood jutting down from the board for any indentation. He quickly found it and dug his nails into the notch, pulling it open and shoving his hand into the small space. </p>
<p>The ship module started flashing external damage warnings. A polite, automated female voice saying <i>”Unexpected damage in</i> lower front <i>of your Skyrating Experience ship, please dock or land as soon as possible and wait for our experienced mechanics to help you get back up in the air safely.”</i></p>
<p>“Ma’am,” his voice shook as he turned the dial, feeling the engines rev and shake the floor beneath his feet. “I think we’re in a rather bad spot of bother.”</p>
<p>His energy is draining out of him by the minute due to the rain clouds, but he needs to land the ship properly. He doesn’t know what to do.</p>
<p><i>If you don’t land the ship correctly, the entire thing will be destroyed. It’s made of tough materials, you can repair the fire damages later,</i> he tells himself, calling back the rain clouds.</p>
<p>He freezes in place, still hearing the shouting from below. Slowly yet surely it begins to fade. He’s made it.</p>
<p>There are still issues at hand, so he runs onto the deck to check for possible landing spots.</p>
<p>It’s a messy sight. Splinters litter the deck, arrows piercing the wood in an intimidating manner. It was horrifying to think that he might have been in the line of fire if he hadn’t retreated onto the Captain’s deck. It made him pause, consider the world he stepped into 16 days ago.</p>
<p>Dan isn’t a courageous man. It took Wilbur a week to convince him to go on the tour thing, because as soon as Dan heard the word ‘Skyrate’, the thought of gaping voids of air with only wood, metal, and magic holding him up sent him cowering. Thrashing seas, rumbling clouds, even the <i>thought</i> of a spider sneaking into his house made him yelp. He spent his entire life in the air, sure, but it never felt so-</p>
<p>So-</p>
<p>Fragile.</p>
<p>Fragile, as if in a second the magic and machinery holding this body up would crumble at the seams, tear into two and crash into the ground in a gore of splintered wood and scrap metal and the noise would never <i>leave his head.</i></p>
<p>The rubble is probably still there. His house is probably still there, somewhere underneath or in between that towering business complex near it that occasionally blocked out the sun.</p>
<p>The arrows are still dug into the wood, some cracking lines into it. Dan can’t bring himself to pull them out, clear it up.</p>
<p>So he goes over to the railing to the left side of the ship, ghosting over the minor wreckage. The ship is still going at a faster speed than usual, so the treetops below fly by quicker than usual. Luckily, the village he was floating past was obscured on the horizon by trees.</p>
<p>
  <i>Humans,<i> he realizes to his shock. He had nearly been torn out of the sky by humans.</i></i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>He shakes his head, blinking his thoughts away before focusing on the matter at hand: finding a landing spot. If he squints enough there’s a clearing in the horizon, a small hill he could probably land on if he focused enough.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>The floor beneath shakes, sending tremors up his legs. The engine is probably sputtering, it wasn’t made for such high speeds. If he didn’t turn it down soon the thing would shake itself apart.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Okay, first go back to the control board  (Captain’s deck, he thinks is the proper term) and slow the ship down to normal cruising speeds. <i>Then</i> he’ll get the landing in action.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>God, Dan would never be able to make it as a Skyrate.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>~</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Hey buddy,” a voice asked hesitantly as Dan slowly awoke. “Uh, had a good sleep, I hope? Probably not because of, well, y’know.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Dan blinked the sleep out of his eyes, the world not yet coming into focus. His throat hurt, and the air had the faint scent of burnt grass and wood. The grass glistened in the sunlight, droplets of rain clinging to the slightly bending blades. The light, fluffy clouds curled around in anticipation.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“What?” He wheezed, realising his throat was more hoarse than usual.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Ohh boy,” the person’s voice is so sympathetic that he can sense them wince. The small pause makes him think in a dreary haze, why did he feel so tired? Why did his neck and forearms hurt? Wait, was he lying against a tree or something? “This is going to be… interesting to explain.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i><i>That</i> made his hazy thoughts clearer. Something was definitely wrong here. Forgive him for not being a morning person, but waking up exhausted doesn’t help that either. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>The fire.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>His brain creates a patchwork account of what happened through his dawning horror. Waking up to smoke choking his throat, pushing himself through the heat while his lungs begged for clean air. The memories are spotty, showing him in one place then on the floor then being carried out. His hand ghosts over his chest, twitches at the remnants of the pain.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“It, uh, appears that you know what happened, I think?” The voice, who he assumes to be his rescuer, sounds sheepish. “There wasn’t much smoke by the time I got to you because the fire hadn’t fully gotten in but you still looked rather worse for wear, which is okay! I totally understand because the fire nearby made the inside of that ship <i>hot as hell for someone not used to-</i>”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Bad lungs,” Dan croaks simplistically, waving off the concerned ramblings of the person that rescued him.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“That explains a lot.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Sure does.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>There’s an awkward silence between the two, Dan’s focus being a bit better as he stares at the remains of Wesingia. There were still bits left untouched, probably from the storm killing off the remaining flames, and there’s a pang to his heart when he realises that George probably ran out, terrified for his life, and is probably lost in the woods somewhere now.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>He shifts himself into a more comfortable position (well, as comfortable as he can get). In reaction his rescuer quickly crouches down beside him, barely visible in his peripheral. <i>Ah now Daniel, you’ve got to thank the person who saved your life shouldn’t you?</i> The polite part of his brain reminds him as it gets its motors running after being turned off in the terrifying fight-or-flight of the escape.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“I gotta say thank you, man,” he turns to the person, finally seeing them fully without the fright of death or the exhaustion of the aftermath. Shit, the dude’s barely cleaned himself since last night it seems. His hair and ragged clothes are all still dusted with dove-grey ash and darker soot. Upon eye contact, he grows a hesitant, shaky smile. “Running into a fire like that, I’ll admit it’s a bit… courageous, but you saved my life. For that? I could never thank you enough.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“It’s alright to say ‘it’s stupid to run into a fire’,” the person gives a short laugh, Dan parrots the action. “I should apologise, really. Your ship is burnt and I saw your cat run out and I don’t know where he went, it’s just that the fire got so out of hand and I couldn’t stop it once it started climbing the hill-”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Wait,” Dan jolts upwards, eyebrows pinching together, “you started the fire?”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>The man breaks eye contact and starts defensively rambling about something along the lines of <i>’not thinking too much because small brain’</i> but Dan can’t focus on the words as he squints in recognition. His patchwork memory of the previous night focuses on a moment where he saw his saviour’s eyes lit by the blazing firelight. A different memory comes into focus, one of brown hair and glinting eyes. He had been distracted by the ash, but the man in front of him had the same warm brown hair. Then, in the firelight, has the same glinting eyes.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>For the second time in 12 hours, although with less urgency, his fight-or-flight kicks in and tells him to <i>run</i>.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Hey, you alright there?” The fire Powered asks him, looking Dan over as his muscles tense. He watches as the summoned storm slowly forms behind the fire Powered, darkening in the sky and casting a shadow on the far treetops. For added measure, he prepares to summon lightning in case of any hand-to-hand combat that he would otherwise easily lose.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“What’s your name?” It’s an easy question to fill time, yet the fire Powered seems to hesitate.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“You can call me Rodger,” ‘Rodger’’s tone is uncertain. Dan can feel atmospheric pressure crackle down his back and the clouds loom with a faint rumble.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>‘Rodger’ blinks in surprise at the noise, turning to see the source of the sound. Dan takes his chance, pushes himself off the tree and <i>runs.</i></i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>He only has a short few moments before there’s a faint yelp behind him as ‘Rodger’ gives chase. The growling thunder grows louder and his heart rises to his throat as he practically slides down the rest of the hill. He has to be more careful, the ground is still somewhat muddy from his storm.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>His legs shake like a newborn deer’s due to sitting down for so long, but it appears that Rodger is similar, as a distinct <i>oof</i> accompanied by the thud of someone falling tells him. It doesn’t take a genius to tell that he’s fallen face first and Dan’s not letting himself hesitate out of sympathy.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>The storm rains down behind him, tearing a dark spot in the sky.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Even on his wobbly legs, he makes it to the treeline, dead focused on losing Rodger. Honest to god he’s never been in a situation like this before. Magistrex prides himself on his ability to get in and get out unnoticed. Even when those that want him torn down eventually find him, he’s up in the sky with a smug grin and his tailcoat dramatically flowing in the breeze.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Now, he’s on foot, his enemy is hot on his tail, and he isn’t even wearing a tailcoat. Now, all he is is Daniel, the man who can control the weather but more meteors, and he’s running for his life in ash-blackened general clothes.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>He can’t even use Wesingia to get away, Dan realises with a sinking feeling. He’s stuck on the ground in one of the most flammable environments in the country. Dan’s a sitting duck staring down the barrel of the hunter’s gun.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>His lack of athleticism is catching up to him, and he’s choking on his own breath. In a swift movement, he’s behind a tree. He lets the negative charge of lightning trickle along his arms, ready to collect in his palms.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>It’s silent, birds driven quiet by lowering atmospheric pressure. A storm is coming and they know it.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Dan hones in on every crackle of leaves, every movement of dirt.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>The wind is whistling.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>A distant step.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>The tree branches that reach towards one another flow in the breeze, brushing against one another. A few raindrops splatter from the approaching rain.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>A few steps more.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>A <i>snap</i> cracks along the silence, coming from his rising tension. Without his notice, the energy built up to the point it had to release into a small burst of a spark.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>He holds his breath, overcompensating for the noise.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>The steps grow louder and every part of his body tenses, not yet ready to turn to ash.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>A crow calls, and that’s where it all goes to hell.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i><i>”A Powered!”</i> A small voice yells. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Dan whips his head around to see a child, who must have moved as quiet as the wind, stand in shock. It surprises him so much so that lightning crackles from his hands directly into the ground below. The child screams.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Dan’s flurried, confused thoughts are interrupted by the noise of crunching and crashing. Before he can even turn to escape people emerge in the distance, charging. There’s so many of them and they’re armed to teeth and <i>Dan’s not getting out of this intact.</i></i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>He’s frozen when he realises. Humans.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>”Humans are perseverant, even without any unique ability they will fight until a Powered is as good as dust,” his teacher had told his class, “I hope with my whole heart that you never even get to see one.”</i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>There's a city falling from the sky. A ship nearly collapsing in flames. There's the relentless humans, standing with pride. The rain grows and starts soaking him to the skin.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>He realises he isn’t a sitting duck, at least a duck can fly away.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Thoughts rush through his head in an endless flurry, going too fast for him to catch a single one. He’s left stuck to the ground, watching their quick approach with a growing pit in his stomach.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“<i>Wait!</i>” Another voice cries out from behind Dan.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Suddenly a man is pulling Dan behind him, arms spread in a protective stance.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>What the fuck.</i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>A lot of strange things have happened over the last… 10 minutes? Y’know, Dan is willing to go along with all this at this point.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>While he’s staring blankly at the ground, blinking, the people start to speak.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Ron, what the hell,” there’s an exasperated sigh from the hoard of humans, “why are you always like this? There's literally a Powered behind you that could’ve hurt a kid.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“No, he wouldn’t have!” The figure in front of him exclaims like a defiant child. Wait, Ron? Rodger? <i>What the fuck?</i></i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“The Powered can control lightning-”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Weather, actually.” ‘Rodger’ corrects, gesturing to the storm blackened sky.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>How? How can he know this? There was that one time he saw Dan create a raincloud, and just before that he was changing the patterns of the clouds… huh.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Ron,”  another human voice joins the fray. “We can’t just let some random Powered free because you say it's good. You’ve only been around for two weeks.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Here’s a deal,” he offers. “I lead the Powered away, if I don’t come back assume I’m dead.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>There’s a cacophony of people contesting, one human even shouting out <i>”You have a death wish!”</i> But, ‘Rodger’ doesn’t pay any mind. Soon Dan’s being ushered to follow him the way back they came.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Dan glances at the humans, all ready to take him down with weapons of every kind. He glances at Rodger, who’s <i>human?<i> <i><b>What?</b></i></i></i></i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>No time for questions, so he chooses the side that <i>apparently</i> doesn’t want to kill him, to his understanding? In other words, he stiffly walks after ‘Rodger’. (He still isn’t fully convinced that’s his name, given how strangely he said it)</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Honest to god, he has so many questions. Maybe he should get a change of clothes, too, he might catch a cold in these soaking ones.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>~</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <b>Three years and eighteen days before.</b>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>The skyship is slowed to a normal speed, check. It's in position for landing, check. He's started the correct opening and closings for a safe landing, check.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>It was surprisingly methodical despite the fact he had no idea if the fires from the arrows had taken hold. Even if there wasn't fire damage, the arrows had probably done enough for him to take extra care in the landing. Damage to structural integrity and all that.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>He'd only landed this thing four times before, each less bumpy than the last. But this one is more of a risk. Even with all the landing protocols in action the possibility of the ship crashing apart terrifies him.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>It’s his one way back to London, and without it, he’s lost everything. Everything depends on this.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>So, as gently as possible, he lowers the ship. The engine growls below and his throat tightens. The accelerometer ticks down slowly yet surely.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Touchdown.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. There was no distinct crunch or snap, nor loud warning sirens. Hopefully, the ship didn't have much damage.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Carefully stepping down the stairs -- as if putting his weight down too suddenly would cause the skyship to shatter -- he gently put his foot onto the deck.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Other than the slight creak of the wood, there was nothing else. No crash, no ear-splitting destruction, no city falling from the sky.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Nothing.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Once again he breathed a sigh of relief. Nimbly dancing around the glinting arrows dug deep into the deck, he reached the port side. He looked over, observing the gentle slope of the grassy hill, reaching into the treeline.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Slowly the grip of panic releases from his chest, and he breathes in the fresh air. With his thoughts cleared, it was time to get to work. The ship needed a cleaning nonetheless, and he can afford to take the resting time. Hopefully, the food can last a little bit longer.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>A short while later, he’s crouching, curiously looking at the arrowheads piercing into the bottom of the ship. From inside there are no visible problems, but externally there’s definitely some damage. Scorch marks dapple the ship black and brown, and when he runs his fingers over the particularly burnt bits charred, delicate wood collects on his fingertips.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>He’s only had this ship for, what, 20 days? And for four of them he was with friends. Nonetheless, this doesn't look to be in tip-top condition.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Hello! Need any help up there?”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Dan startles when the voice calls out from further down. He turns around to see who it came from, hoping to whatever’s beyond the skies that the humans hadn’t found him in such a vulnerable state.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Down the hill, a figure is stepping out of a caravan. They appear to be a person, but not distinctly human or Powered. When they’re out of the caravan they take a rather passive stance, but are too far away for Dan to discern any facial expression.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Who are you?” Dan shouts down, but the shakiness of his words betrays him.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Oh, I’m only someone who wants to help out.” The figure answers back rather ominously, starting to walk up the hill. Dan’s entire body tenses, already prepared for this song and dance. “I’m just a traveller passing by, thought you might need a hand.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Dan feels energy from last time pour through his body, fight or flight. Before, he was out of range and was dependent on whether his ship could withstand the barrage. Now, he’s face to face with a stranger he doesn’t know the intentions of. Something feels prepared to snap, but he's unsure what.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>The stranger’s features come into view, wielding only a kind-hearted smile. Every step they take forward Dan grows more tense.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>Snap.</i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Both of them startle in shock, Dan glancing down to his arm to see where it came from. There’s a sudden movement in his peripheral that surprises him, and a bright, white light snaps again, trailing down his forearm and breaking at his palm.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>Holy shit, he can control lightning?</i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>The stranger doesn’t take another step, and for good reason. Honest to god, if he saw a random dude with lighting crackling at his fingertips he’d be dead terrified too.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“I get the message,” the ‘traveller’ says with a hesitant laugh. “I’ll stay far over here.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>It isn’t far, they’re only 10 or 20 metres away from one another. Good enough for Dan, though.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“You didn’t answer my question,” he tried to be as intimidating as he could to ward off any conflict.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Oh, sorry about that one,” the stranger cocks his head to the side with a crafty smile. “Call me Spiff, full name Spiffing, at your service. I don’t think I’ve ever met a Powered that let me come this close before, and you seem like a fine lad. It’s good to meet you…?”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Dan,” he offers cautiously. “Just call me Dan.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“It’s nice to meet you, Dan. I’m always open to meeting new markets and I’m not going to exclude Powered from it. Would you, by chance, like some tea?”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>-</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“So, uh, how's the weather?” Rodger offers before immediately wincing. “Uh, did you clear the storm clouds yourself? Wait- is that a bad thing to ask? Sorry-”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“It’s alright, but no. They just chose to clear out by themselves.” Dan responds shortly, trying his best not to sound curt. Both of them were awkward, and Dan was still <i>so</i> confused.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Rodger curiously looked at the sky through the small gaps of the canopy covering, as if the clouds would give a friendly wave. Dan observed the surroundings as they walked through the forest. He was cautious of possibly being led in the wrong direction, mentally marking off certain things he remembered from his high strung sprint through the foliage. So far they seemed to be going in the correct direction, lush ferns brushing their legs. Still, he remained on guard.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“So do you control the clouds, or do they listen to you? Are the clouds sentient?” He seems to like filling the silence, but there was a hint of genuine curiosity.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“I mostly control them,” Dan responded simply, trailing behind him out of caution. “I’d like to think they’re sentient but most of the time when I feel strong emotions my powers seem to act out on their own. I do have a fondness for personification, though.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“That’s a big word,” Rodger mumbles to himself. Dan barks a laugh by accident.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>They continue in silence, Dan tenser than before. Wet, dead foliage folds under their feet, causing Roger to partially slip. Light reflects off the droplets collected on the creeping plants gripping onto the soft bark of the trees. The birdsong had returned, he noticed.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>They walk until the treeline meets the knee-high grass. Rodger stops, and Dan freezes behind him.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>"Sorry for all these questions, I've just never seen a Powered before." He apologises. "All I've ever heard is stories that don't really show Powereds as… people."</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>"Huh."</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Rodger spins around, a nervous grin adorning his face. "That's why I found you so interesting! When I was clearing a field and looked up to see a Powered staring down at me, I was completely sure I was going to die. I wasn't in range of the town I was staying in, so I couldn't call for help. But, you didn't do anything."</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Rodger stared at Dan as if he could answer the unsaid question that he can't even discern. Dan just stood, perplexed and very aware of his fidgeting hands.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>"Later while I was travelling to another town, I saw you again! Or I thought it was you." He continued, gesturing vaguely. "The ship looked the same, and you flew close enough to the cliffside that I could see you better. Seeing people from far away through smoke does <i>not</i> make their features obvious. Anyway-"</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Dan just blinked at his ramblings as his belief of the person in front of him slowly unfurled. He wasn't a Powered, nor had any vengeance, and hadn't even seen a Powered before.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>"When I saw you I thought 'hey that's the Powered that didn't kill me that one time', so I had to say hi, yeah?” Dan has no idea if that question was rhetorical, but Rodger didn’t bother to let him answer even if he tried. “So I lit a tree on fire.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Dan was dumbfounded. He doesn’t know the humans’ culture, sure, but he assumes that no matter what branch of life you come from that isn’t a typical greeting. <i>Lighting a tree on fire.</i> God. </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Hey! It was actually quite genius if I do say so myself,” Rodger said with pride as if <i>lighting a random tree on fire was an everyday ordeal.</i> Dan’s not going to get over this, is he? “You know me from when I set that field on fire, so may as well go ‘hey it’s me’ by setting a tree on fire! I assume that rain cloud you sent was an acknowledgement of some kind, but a wave would have been preferred.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>
          <i>”You set a tree on fire, while making eye contact, as a friendly greeting.”</i>
        </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Yeah! What else could I have meant?”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“I don’t know,” Dan waved his arms, confounded. “A threat, maybe?”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Uh oh, wrong answer. Rodger seemed genuinely hurt by that, shoulders slouching and previously energetic, gesturing hands stilling. The spark in his eyes faded, and Dan… Dan felt pretty bad. He probably shouldn’t have accused the dude that saved his life less than an hour ago of threatening him. Not only that, saved his life last night too. Wow, that was kinda shitty.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Sorry, it’s just…” Daniel hesitated, suddenly feeling a lot more sympathetic to the human in front of him. Probably the sympathy he should have given when his life was saved, not from when he actually messed up. “Whenever I saw you, I thought I was in some sort of danger. In the Powereds society, I don’t typically have the best of people setting fires when they see me, so I just got nervous and defensive. I probably should have just listened to you instead of running off into the forest.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Ah, it’s grand,” Rodger rebuilds himself, but Dan notices his hands are fidgeting. “Don’t worry about it, I understand. I hope we can get to know each other better? I don’t have a town to go back to and your skyship doesn’t seem to be able to take off any time soon -- sorry about that, again. Fire travels up a hill faster than I can put it out.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Well, you dragged me out of it, at least.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Yeah.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Silence reigned as they stood in the shade of the treeline. Dan considers the offer that he was given. He’s never been on the ground alone, and even then not for longer than a day or two. He’s always had Spiff to talk to or Kiwo to raise hell with. Of course, he values time to himself, but there’s still that shadow that follows him with every step. </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>He’s met new friends in worse ways.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“I’m Daniel, but most call me Dan.” He offers a hand, a smile, and an opportunity.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>The spark rekindles in Rodger’s eyes, and he takes his hand with gusto. “Nice to be able to finally speak to ya, Dan. I think we’ll depend on each other enough that you should know my name, you can call me Kevin.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Together, they walk out of the shade and into the bright light of the sun rising to its peak. Dan has to blink for a few seconds for his eyes to readjust to the difference from the canopy cover, and Kevin gives a warm laugh at the sight before giving a delighted gasp.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Huh?” </i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Kevin excitedly points at the hill, and Dan squints to see a small animal basking in the warm sun amongst the budding purple flowers. A cat. It was George.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>A grin widened on Dan’s face as George pulled himself up to see the two. The happy little cat trod over, weaving through the grass with grace and coming to a stop in front of the two with a gentle purr.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“What’s this little fella’s name?”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“George, he’s stuck with me through a lot these years of Skyrating, he’s a lovely boy.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>“Well,” Kevin crouched and offered a hand for George to sniff, “we better get to know each other better. I hope I don’t have an allergy to cats. It wouldn’t be good if you had an allergy to humans, either.”</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>Dan laughed, feeling the stress and tension sap from his shoulders. The grass around them danced in the soft breeze, flowers with strong stalks reaching towards the sunlight. Distant birdsong came from within the forest, and he could barely see a few finches playing in the grass with fluttering wings. It was warm, pleasant.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>
        <i>He thinks that shadow will be a bit less potent, now.</i>
      </i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Wow, that sure was a wild ride, hope it was clear enough!<br/><br/>Also, want to join a discord? A really active discord server, that has several writers, and is incredibly welcoming?<br/>Well, the Band of Yahoos [Christin] discord server is for you! We are a twitch/gaming RPF server with strict anti-shipping rules. We also have an exclusive role for RT and Kevin fans, which is an excellent incentive to join<br/><i><b>Reminder: We have strict rules against RPF shipping. While we can be somewhat lenient with people who have explicitly said they're comfortable several times, this is the biggest rule of the server.</b></i><br/><a href="https://discord.gg/DmMmBm4Fjn">https://discord.gg/DmMmBm4Fjn</a> &lt;= Join here!!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Me: Oh boy, I should write something to cool down from spooky lads and move onto my original au idea I'm developing-<br/>Me, 3K words later: Oh boy, another multichapter fic it seems</p>
<p>All kudos are greatly appreciated, I try to respond to comments as soon as I can! :D</p></blockquote></div></div>
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